Tab Mix Plus

Tab Mix Plus (often abbreviated TMP) is a Mozilla Firefox extension that adds to the tabbed browsing functions in Firefox. It is a popular extension on Mozilla Add-ons, which records download statistics. TMP is a collection of features from other extensions built in one package.^[1] Lifehacker named it one of their "Top 10 must-have Firefox extensions" for 2009.^[2] PC World said that "With Tab Mix Plus, Firefox tabs go past the obvious and into the indispensable... it's hard to imagine how you lived without it."^[3] Wired and CNET both called it a "must-have" that is "powerful"^[4] and "gives you what feels like an infinite amount of control over tab behaviour."^[5]

Functions

• Duplicates tabs
  • Opens a new tab with the same page and back/forward history
• Controls tab focus
  • Allows the user to choose whether new tabs will be selected when created by various events (such as linking, opening bookmarks, etc.)
• JavaScript decompiling
  • Allows JavaScript to be forced into a separate tab instead of a pop-up box, and allows the user to view the URL of the JavaScript page.
• Changes handling of input
  • Various combinations of mouse clicks, points, and key-presses can be assigned to activate tab-related functions, such as opening, closing and duplicating individual tabs or groups thereof.
• Reopen closed tabs and windows
  • Saves information about tabs and windows as they are closed, allowing the user to "undo" closing them. The reopened page will reopen in the condition it was at the moment it was closed - including containing any text the user had typed into text boxes thereon - such as those on a Wikipedia edit page.
• Session Manager and Crash Recovery
  • Saves the current set of open windows and tabs (and associated history), at a preset interval and/or on command. This allows the user to recover from a crash, or to deliberately save the current session, to return to it at a later date, or share a copy with another user.
  • While Firefox contains a basic session manager functions, Tab Mix Plus has greater functionality in this area. In turn, the Session Manager extension has additional session management functions beyond those of Tab Mix Plus. These two extensions are known to "play nicely together": Tab Mix Plus detects the presence of Session Manager and deactivates its own session management functions, deferring to Session Manager.

Criticism

Tab Mix Plus was incompatible with Firefox 2.0 for 2 weeks after its release, resulting in many thousands of people uninstalling 2.0. Critics also point out that TMP is quite large and may be experiencing software bloat. Co-developer, "CPU", wrote in response: "Concerning the bloatness factor, the extension seems a bit too big but that is only because over 20 languages are included. These add more than 100kb in size." ^[6]

Versions

Two versions of Tab Mix Plus are generally available at any given time:

• An "official release" version
  • Intended for general use, this is publicly available from the Mozilla Add-ons website.
  • These releases have passed the Mozilla Add-ons review process.^[7]
• A "development" or "pre-release" version
  • Intended for testing by interested users prior to release, this is available only from the developers' own website.

Firefox Version Compatibility

Recent TMP versions are no longer compatible with Firefox 2 or Firefox 3.0, and can only be installed when running Firefox 3.5 or higher.

The last "official release" to be compatible with Firefox 2 was version 0.3.8.1, publicly released on August 2, 2009.

The first "development" version to drop Firefox 2 compatibility was the development version 0.3.8.2pre.090830, which became available on August 30, 2009.

The last "official release" to be compatible with Firefox 3.0 was version 0.3.8.4, published to Mozilla Add-ons on June 17, 2010.^[8]

See also

• List of Firefox extensions

References

1. Public recognition of the extensions used in Tab Mix Plus-Tab Mix Plus
2. Purdy, Kevin (11 April 2009). "Top 10 Must-Have Firefox Extensions, 2009 Edition". Lifehacker. Retrieved 2009-06-18.
3. Blackwell, Laura. "Tab Mix Plus". PC World. Retrieved 2009-06-18.
4. Norton, Quinn (12 December 2005). "The Firefox Hacks You Must Have". Wired. Retrieved 2009-06-18.
5. Rosenblatt, Seth (18 June 2008). "Best plug-ins for Firefox 3". Crave (cnet). Retrieved 2009-06-18.
6. Developer Comments section
7. Mozilla Add-ons Review Policy
8. Tab Mix Plus version history at Mozilla Add-ons

External links

• Tab Mix Plus official homepage
• Tab Mix Plus User Manual
• Tab Mix Plus "Release Builds" at Mozilla Addons